Australia
New ZealandThe Philippines is a tourist paradise, offering beaches, rich cuisines and colorful festivals across its 7000 islands.
Human trafficking is prevalent in the island nation, a crisis fuelled largely by poverty and a booming tourism industry
Population: 106M
Language: Filipino
TIP: Tier 1
Destiny Rescue is actively fighting child sex trafficking in the Philippines. Working in partnership with law enforcement, our agents find victims of child sex trafficking and coordinate sting operations to rescue children and bring perpetrators to justice.
Destiny Rescue Philippines is an augmented assistance program that provides resources and logistics to partnered law enforcement agencies and national government agencies for the purpose of rescuing children from sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Agencies include multiple divisions of the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Sex trafficking
and exploitation
Philippines
Children urgently need rescuing from sex trafficking in the Philippines.
Between 60,000 to 100,000 children are trafficked each year through migration or within the country, according to a report in 2016 by global anti-child exploitation network ECPAT International.
In the Philippines, traffickers typically recruit girls and boys from villages in rural areas by baiting them with the promise of fast and easy cash. They’re then sold for sex in pubs, karaoke bars, nightclubs, on the streets or through social media.
In 2021, Destiny Rescue’s anti-trafficking efforts alongside law enforcement accomplished:
251
RESCUES
47%
WERE CHILDREN
47
ARRESTS
Latest in the Philippines
Our work in the Philippines
Large-Scale Raids
Our rescue agents collaborate with law-enforcement teams to identify child sex trafficking victims and gather the evidence needed to build a legal case against their traffickers. We collaborate with multiple government agencies to coordinate a sting operation and free victims, arrest offenders and shut down establishments.
Post-Rescue
After a raid, our social workers work alongside government social workers to ensure that the survivors’ immediate needs are met including temporary housing, care and essential items.
Anti-trafficking Expertise
We have helped rescue children, and even adults, from various types of trafficking in the country such as labor and cybersex trafficking. Our team’s expertise is recognized, used, and valued by law enforcement.
Learn More
We operate rescue and reintegration programs in multiple countries across the world. Learn more about our mission to help end child sexual exploitation and trafficking in our lifetime.
Learn MoreStories from the Philippines
What makes a rescue agent in the Philippines?
Hear from seasoned rescue agent and Philippines country manager, Ben, as he shares the most important qualities needed in a rescue agent….
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Police must upskill to beat human trafficking
This is because traffickers are master innovators, a rescue agent says. …
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The evolution of human trafficking in the Philippines
It’s becoming a “darker trade,” a rescue agent says. …
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Swarm of boys rescued from dangerous pimps
The rescue was one of three raid missions executed at the same time….
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The power of social media: why some girls enter the sex industry to buy coffee and clothes
Online pictures of snacks and models are typically harmless, but they can have a harmful, peculiar effect on kids in developing countries….
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The second story window
Five teens quietly gathered while their seven friends slept in bunk beds around them. It was around 1 am and the girls,…
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Philippines raid followup: survivors finding justice
In the Philippines, Destiny Rescue not only frees girls from sex trafficking but also helps them find justice. Check back in on…
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Rescue surge: 33 people rescued across four countries in four days
Amidst the difficulties of this year, Destiny Rescue was able to rescue 33 people across four countries in four days. This latest…
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Operation Corso
“I think this is a set up” was the last text message the Destiny Rescue operative received from the pimp they had…
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Rescuing in the Time of COVID-19
With much of the world coming to a halt from the abrupt effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, safe distancing is now the…
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Toddler Rescued – Our First Cyber Case
In February, our teams, in coordination with multiple law-enforcement agencies, executed an operation that rescued a 2-and-a-half-year-old boy from a life of…
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Operation Domino
It took extensive planning and skilled teamwork. On an unassuming February night, our teams and law enforcement executed four raids in immediate…
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159 Women Rescued in Operation Trabaho
It took 36 hours of hectic planning and strategic logistics for Destiny Rescue Philippines and its partner government agency, the National Bureau…
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Sordid Shadows: How to Catch a Pimp
SBS Dateline recently joined Destiny Rescue’s Founder and President Tony Kirwan, along with our International Rescue Director, rescue team, and local law…
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